Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

April 27th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

May 11th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

December 11th, 1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant zur See

Unit:

Kommandant Schnellboot S-31

Awarded on:

May 16th, 1940

Awarded for his actions on 10.05.1940. On this day a group of four German S-Boats attacked a British naval formation consisting of the cruiser "Birmingham" as well as 7 destroyers. Opdenhoff torpedoed the British destroyer "Kelly" and claimed to have sunk it, resulting in his being awarded the Knight's Cross. However the ship was in fact only heavily damaged, and was towed back to the harbour at Newcastle by the destroyer "Bulldog".